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UNITED STATES OF AMEIfIC 



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BETHLEHEM : W- 



ITS SURROUNDINGS. 



ELIZABETH K. CHURCHILL. 




PROVIDENCE: 

SIDNEY S. RIDER. 

1876. 



Copyright, 1876, 
Bv SIDNEY S. RIDER. 



B/fC^ 



RIVERSIDK, CAMBRIDGE: 

STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY 

H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY. 



BETHLEHEM, N. H., 

AND 

ITS SURROUNDINGS. 



Within the last quarter of a century a great 
change has taken place in the traveling hab- 
its of Americans. The increased pressure of 
business and social life has made summer rest 
and recreation necessary for multitudes who 
once jogged contentedly along their narrow 
paths year after year, without feeling over- 
weighted by work and worry, or knowing the 
pressure of new wants springing from the 
more aesthetic culture which is in some form 
or other thrust to-day upon every household.- 
Forty years ago, few of our country-people 
traveled except upon errands of business or 
friendship. A journey to , Europe gave one 
local distinction. Even a jaunt to the Wliite 
Mountains was attempted by few but artists, 
poets, and wealthy people who could afford to 



4 A TRAVELING PEOPLE. 

indulge their fancies. City people who wanted 
change of air or recreation, went either to 
some near sea-side resort, or paid a visit to 
country relatives, often taxing seriously the 
overworked wives of the farmers. 

Many of the loveliest places in America 
were unknown to tourists because so few di- 
verged from the beaten track of summer travel. 
The multiplication of railways, of newspapers, 
records of travel, and the increase and diffu- 
sion of various stimulants to intellectual ac- 
tivity and cultured tastes has changed all that. 
We have become eminently a traveling people. 
Men and women of all degrees of culture, 
social position, and wealth, sail our seas and 
rivers, climb our mountains, descend into our 
valleys, and like one whose devious ways we 
do not seek to emulate, go " to and fro on the 
earth and up and down in it." This is well 
for both citizen and countryman. While the 
former renews health, and experiences a cer- 
tain spiritual elevation from intimate contact 
with nature, the latter is enriched in purse 
and often refined in manner and feeling by 
acquaintance with those who have entered 
more widely than he into the vast and compli- 
cated life of the world. 



BETHLEHEM. 5 

With increase of travelers has come a 
change for the better in the attempts to estab- 
lish familiar relations with natural scenery. 
This is especially true of White Mountain 
travel. Instead of hastening from one point 
of interest to another, jaded in body and 
wearied in mind, the greater number of mount- 
ain pilgrims establish themselves in boarding- 
houses, farm-houses, and cottages, and from 
these temporary homes sally forth in mount- 
ain wagons, carryalls, and buck boards, to 
enjoy in a comfortable and leisurely way the 
grand old hills. As a result of this change of 
fashion, farm-houses are enlarged and modern- 
ized, new villages spring up as by enchant- 
ment, and old ones enlarge their bounds. 

Amongst those in New Hampshire which 
are rapidly becoming known as centres of in- 
terest is Bethlehem. According to 'East- 
man, and some other authorities, this is the 
only point from which " Mount Washington 
can be viewed in its proper relative position. 
It commands a comprehensive view of the en- 
tire White Mountain range ; " from its hill- 
sides, wide and delightful views of the Fran- 
conia Mountains and the lesser New Hamp- 



6 ADVANTAGES OF BETHLEHEM. 

shire hills, while in the distance rise the Green 
Mountains, and the Adirondacks. Its varied 
and extensive views, the dryness of its atmos- 
phere, and the fact that it is the centre of 
many points of interest, — Mount Washing- 
ton, the Flume and Profile, the White Mount- 
ain Notch, Jefferson, Lancaster, and other 
widely known places lying within easy riding- 
distance, — commend it to yearly increasing 
numbers. So great are its advantages that al- 
though they have not been widely advertised 
through the press, its hotels and boarding- 
houses are, in the height of the season, full to 
overflowing, and there is a demand for cot- 
tages by those who prefer seclusion and home 
comforts, to gay crowds of strangers and hotel 
fare. Years ago, Starr King, who combined 
the exquisite sensibility of a poet and the 
trained eye of an artist, with unrivaled skill 
in descriptive language, wrote, "It is a great 
pity that Bethlehem is not one of the promi- 
nent stopping places for travelers who seek 
the mountain region. No village commands 
so grand a panoramic view. The whole hori- 
zon is fretted Avith mountains The 

town lies also at the favorable landscape dis- 



VIEW FROM THE MAIN STREET. 7 

tance from the hills." It is also the highest 
village east of the Rocky Mountains, lying 
1,450 feet above the sea. 

From the main street, running nearly east 
and west for a mile or more, the land slopes 
northward until it begins to rise in the Dalton 
Hills. The exquisite mists which before sun- 
rise are seen like piles of fairy wool in this 
valley, arise from the Ammonoosuc River 
which winds through it. As the sun touches 
them they break and disperse in various fan- 
tastic forms, which as they rarely rise above 
the valley may be enjoyed without fear of lurk- 
ing disease. Cherry Mountain with its long 
eastward and westward slope, lies to the 
northeast. The Dalton Hills, a broad, di- 
versified chain, stretch along to the northward. 
Almost directly east, seventeen miles away, is 
Washington, its summit often veiled in clouds 
of airy grace. There is nowhere in the mount- 
ains a view of the whole range so satisfac- 
tory as this, where the monarch of all those 
proud heights is seen surrounded by his court 
in their subordinate places ; Adams, Jeffer- 
son, and Clay, at the left, being more conical, 
appear to rise higher than Monroe, Franklin, 



8 STRAWBERRY HILL. 

Pleasant, and Clinton. Directly south of 
Bethlehem lies the Franconia range, with 
symmetrical Haystack and Lafayette tower- 
ing above all their fellows. In the west are 
seen the peaks of the Green Mountains, with 
Mansfield and Camel's Hump ; and far away 
to the northwest a wavy line of blue is said 
to be the Adirondacks. If there is elsewhere 
in the White Hills a point whence so grand a 
circle of mountains is to be seen, it has never 
yet been brought into notice. 

STRAWBERRY HILL. 

From a picturesque eminence in the village, 
called Strawberry Hill, a still wider and 
grander prospect is comm-anded. As its 
owner has laid a plank walk, built an obser- 
vatory, placed seats on the summit, dedicated 
various knolls and groves to his favorite 
poets, and in other ways added to its native 
attractions, it is a favorite resort of aesthetic 
pilgrims. This spot is especially attractive 
at sunset, when the panorama of the day ends 
with a succession of pictures thrown upon the 
vast framework of the western horizon by the 
Artist whose vivid tints of crimson, gold, and 



STRAWBERRY HILL. 9 

orange no copyist can reproduce. A few 
wise ones ascend Strawberry Hill to witness 
the marvel of sunrise, but most travelers are 
content to take its glory upon trust. There 
is a secret told at sunrise, but what it is, each 
soul must hear for itself. 

Half way up the hill is a pretty observa- 
tory built by Ex-Governor Howard of Rhode 
Island, to whom the estate belongs. In it is 
a fine camera-obscura, which pictures with 
fidelity the shifting cloud forms and the land- 
scape. Some visitors seat themselves upon 
the piazza of the observatory to enjoy the ex- 
tensive prospect ; others pursue the path up 
the steeper ascent to the summit of the hill, 
where seats are placed to command a view 
of the western sky. If early, there is time 
enough to explore the woodland paths on the 
hillsides ; to penetrate a cool and invTting 
grove of spruces ; to find the guide boards 
that point to Mount Parnassus, Bryant's Ra- 
vine, Whittier's Knoll, and The Nest ; and to 
gather ferns and the lovely bunch-berries with 
which in some spots the earth is aglow. A 
vast semicircle of near and far mountain peaks 
are outlined against the evening sky ; the 



lO A SUNSET SCENE. 

Green Mountain Range most shadowy and 
indistinct of all. 

Sometimes the sun, a red, fiery ball, sinks 
into a sea of opaline light ; at others he is 
attended by a vanguard and rear guard of 
clouds, whose exceeding glory is almost too 
much to bear, in piled up masses, or in long 
lines of rose and flame color and purple, sug- 
gesting the fantastic thought that they may be 
the mantles of the day's sainted dead, which, 
like Elijah in his triumphal ascent, they be- 
stow as mementos upon those who love 
them. 

There are rare evenings when the full moon 
stands out in round relief upon a background 
of dark sky ; and others, yet rarer, when lunar 
rainbows fill the fortunate observer with de- 
light. The author vividly recalls one sunset 
scene from Strawberry Hill which was con- 
sidered, even by the residents of Bethlehem, 
one of surpassing glory. The clouds which 
for several days had hid the giant-wall of the 
White Mountains from our sight, were lift- 
ed, when lo, a line of shining forms ! From 
base to summit, the white range was snow- 
clad, and farther south beautiful Lafayette 



A SUNSET SCENE. II 

alone of the Franconia giants had put on his 
robes of hght. The sky was clouded all day, 
and it seemed as though the mountains ab- 
sorbed all the light in the atmosphere. The 
effect of their clear, pure outlines against the 
leaden sky and dark clouds was marvelous. 
The Mount Washington railway was clearly 
marked to the naked eye, and farther to the 
right the ledges were distinctly outlined be- 
cause more snow had adhered to them. Later, 
clouds crept slowly up their sides and veiled 
them from us only to break again into soft 
masses and float away. 

The sun went down leaving bars of gold on 
the horizon, and the watchers cried, " Look at 
the mountains." Then there was hurrying to 
and fro, in search of the most eligible spot to 
view the transfiguration, and exclamations of 
delight were lost in the ecstasy of gazing. 
First, a mountain on the extreme right was 
bathed in softest rose-color, which had a faint 
suggestion of gold. As it died, Jefferson be- 
gan to glow. Soon the glory spread to Madi- 
son and Clay, until the whole Hne of sentinel 
forms were transfigured, as though the gates 
of heaven were swung wide, and the sea of 



12 THE SURPASSING GLORY. 

glass mingled with fire, the excellent glory 
which "eye hath not seen," was reflected 
upon the waiting mountains. Soon the lesser 
hills caught a fainter brightness, while the 
forests on the mountains not draped with 
snow were overspread with a purple hue. 
The light touched the windows of the farm- 
houses at their base, and they were aflame 
against the dark background. In the near 
fields that slope down to the valley beneath 
us, stood isolated trees, masses of crimson 
foliage, and maples with dashes of scarlet 
intermixed with their green branches. While 
we gazed and wondered at the surpassing 
glory, behold it was gone. Verily the hills as 
well as the heavens declare the glory of God, 
and the mountains show forth his handi- 
work. 

Five miles west of Bethlehem is Littleton, a 
thriving town. No other village is in sight 
from Strawberry Hill, Whitefield being hid by 
intervening hills, but scattered farm-houses 
nestle in the valleys and gleam from the dis- 
tant hill-sides. Beyond all is the mighty pro- 
tecting circle of the mountains. 

The railway up Mount Washington and the 



BETHLEHEM AS A SANITARIUM. I3 

Summit House are seen with the naked eye 
upon clear days, and a glass reveals the trains 
slowly ascending and descending. The upper 
half of Lafayette as seen from Strawberry Hill 
reminds many observers of the Jungfrau 
viewed from Interlachen. Fortunate are they 
who see it white with early snow, while the 
nearer woods are gorgeous in their autumn 
tints. The only element of beauty lacking 
here is a view of river or lake ; but there are 
few spots in the mountain region which can 
boast both lakes and high hills in the pros- 
pect. Whitefield Pond is but a few miles dis- 
tant, but a hill rises between it and Bethlehem. 
,To the absence of bodies of water as well as 
to the elevation of the village maybe attrib- 
uted its absolute immunity from the autum- 
nal catarrh known as hay fever. There are 
but two other localities in the whole region 
which venture to compete with Bethlehem as 
a sanitarium for the sufferers from this un- 
romantic disease. In several instances relief 
has been gained here in a few hours after trial 
of other highly recommended spots had proved 
useless. 



14 MOUNT AGASSIZ. 



MOUNT AGASSrZ. 



An eminence giving a wider outlook than 
Strawberry Hill, is Mount Agassiz, a hill lying 
to the southeast, and within easy walking dis- 
tance of the village. Its ascent is not diffi- 
cult, a winding path through woodlands where 
treasures of moss, ferns, and scarlet bunch- 
berries delay their admirers, leading to the 
summit. The most favorable time for the as- 
cent is the hour before sunset, when the mount- 
ains reflect the varied colors of the western 
sky. One who turns from the last lingering 
ray of the sun to see the full moon float over 
the crest of Lafayette, enters into the emotion 
that prompted the sublime poems of David, 
and their personification of stars and mount- 
ains as sentient and adoring beings. It is not 
difficult At such moments to believe with Tyn- 
dall, that what is termed inanimate nature may 
have a consciousness which fails to impress 
us solely because of our incapacity to observe 
and weigh its faint and subtle evidences. 

Eight years ago a wolf weighing eighty-four 
pounds was trapped on Mount Agassiz, but as 
he had doubtless strayed from a remote wil- 



MOUNT WASHINGTON. 1 5 

derness, and, moreover, as wolves are not ap- 
propriate summer guests but more in accord 
with winter solitudes, no fear of wild beasts 
disturbs our peace. If, however, one longs to 
interview a bear or a wildcat, it may be possi- 
ble to secure that pleasure by taking into coun- 
cil one Allen Thompson, who, having hunted 
for forty years over the mountains, and run 
boundary lines through the forest, is authority 
concerning the habits and haunts of our wild, 
four-footed kindred. A person worth knowing 
is the quiet-mannered man who can unfold 
tales of wildwood life which have the flavor of 
Cooper's novels. 

« The more important excursions to be taken 
from Bethlehem are to Mount Washington, 
Franconia Notch, the White Mountain Notch, 
Jefferson, Conway, Lancaster on the Connect- 
icut River, the shire town of Coos County ; 
long famed for the beauty of its meadows and 
trees, and distant view of the mountains ; and 
Dalton, also on the Connecticut at the head of 
the rapids. 

MOUNT WASHINGTON. 

The pilgrim to Mount Washington must rise 



1 6 MOUNT WASHINGTON. 

betimes in order to reach its base in time for 
the first train up the mountain. This is not a 
misfortune, as many persons in consequence 
enjoy the sunrise who have nearly all their 
lives taken its marvels upon trust. The 
happy few whose sound health enables them 
to rejoice in mere existence, are exhilarated • 
by starting at dawn. Were the driver to an- 
nounce the land of Beulah as the object of 
the day's excursion, none would dispute him. 
Rivers of mist fill the valleys, which break into 
shining patches, and melt away as the sunlight 
touches them. The road leads past the Twin 
Mountain House, along by the upper Ammo- 
noosuc, that ubiquitous river which greets us 
with its wild music go we east or go we west ; 
past Fabyan's, whence the road is rougher, 
and past the Falls of the Upper Ammonoosuc 
with its boiling waters and stratified rocks, 
worn into smooth basins by the force of the 
water. These falls deserve longer study than 
can be given them in a brief call on the way 
to or from the mountain. 

The price of a ticket to the top of Mount 
Washington is three dollars, or four dollars if 
a return trip is included. Those persons who 



MOUNT WASHINGTON RAILWAY. 1 7 

feel timid about the ascent by steam-power, 
have only to observe the regular motion of 
the cog-wheels as they play into the ratchets, 
and the device for checking the engine sud- 
denly, if necessary, to feel reassured. As we 
rise hieh and higher, we are reminded of the 
tower of Babel, which seems to have been a 
less audacious scheme than this railway. The 
builders of Babel evidently did not realize the 
difficulties of .their undertaking, especially the 
atmospheric obstacles, which science had not 
at that early day revealed ; but the projectors 
of this railway up the steep mountain-side, 
have demonstrated by their success that they 
were wiser in their day and generation. 

As we ascend, peak after peak comes into 
view, and many valleys, with a wide expanse 
of country, reveahng villages, hamlets, and 
sohtary farm-houses far apart. There is time 
while we stop at the half-way station to step 
out of the car and gather the fragile little 
white blossoms which Agassiz pronounced to 
be the same kind as those which grow amidst 
Alpine snows, and to which Mrs. Sigourney 
likened women, — '' The paths of man and 
woman are marked out by Him who bids the 



l8 ON MOUNT WASHINGTOI^. 

oak brave the fury of the tempest, and the Al- 
pine flower lean its cheek on the bosom of 
eternal snows." They do not bear transplant- 
ing; perhaps can only thrive, like some souls, 
amidst winds and tempest, with brief sum- 
mer sunshine and heat. 

The effect of the vast shadows on the 
mountains below us is wonderful and inde- 
scribable. We pass the deep ravine called 
from a fancied resemblance in outline, the 
Gulf of Mexico, and go up Jacob's Ladder, a 
steeper part of the railway that is supported 
far above the earth by trestle-work. The 
ascent from base to summit of Mount Wash- 
ington, consumes two and a half hours, and 
the same slow rate is maintained in descend- 
ing as in ascending. 

The vast and sublime view from the top, as 
also the Summit House and Signal Station, 
have been so often described that nothing re- 
mains to be said about them. It is well to 
remain a night in the cheery hostelry in order 
to see the sun rise. Those who have had the 
good fortune to witness the glowing orb mount 
into the ether undimmed by a cloud or veil of 
mist, speak of the scene as indescribable and 
overpowering. 



WHITE MOUNTAIN NOTCH. 



WHITE MOUNTAIN NOTCH. 

The White Mountain Notch is easily ac- 
cessible from Bethlehem, the road being the 
same as that to Mount Washington until vou 



reach the Fabyan House. The extension of 
the Portland and Ogdensburg Railway opened 
through the Notch recently, while affording 
its travelers grand views, has wrought sad 
havoc with the wild wonders of the Notch it- 
self. Gone is the gateway whose stupendous 
walls of rock approached each other so closely 
as to leave only room for a narrow road, and 
many of the rocky outlines which bore real or 
fancied resemblance to animals ; all sacrificed 
to the demand of the iconoclast steam. Heaven 
defend Franconia Notch from his inroads, or 
any form of "improvement." 

In the White Mountain Notch, which "is 
often called Crawford's Notch, in honor of the 
brave old pioneer who kept the first inn in 
this region, mountains, ravines, and cascades 
blend their charms to make the region one of 
the most subhme and impressive manifesta- 
tions of Nature on this continent. Bayard Tay- 
lor says of the view from Mount Willard, "As 



20 MOUNT WILLARD. 

a simple picture of a mountain pass seen from 
above, it cannot be surpassed in Switzerland. 
Something like it I have seen in the Taurus, 
otherwise I can recall no view with which to 
compare it." 

Its savage grandeur is most sublime and 
impressive. Far in the distance, facing the 
observer who looks down the valley, is the 
mighty cone of Chocorua. On the right is 
Mount Willey, forest-clad, the Willey brook 
leaping down with a rushing sound that 
ascends even to the height whence the horses 
seen passing along the valley road look like 
ants for size. It is easy to trace the line of 
the avalanche that swept away the Willey 
family, by the difference between the trees 
that have grown over its path and those that 
are many years older. On the left rises Mount 
Webstej, sterile and grim of aspect ; Mount 
Willard is, without question, a favorite resort 
of the fairy folk, as is indicated by the great 
number of harebells, which, swinging on their 
slender stems, as authorities say, chime the 
fairies to their sports. 

Mount Willard may be ascended either on 
foot or in a mountain wagon drawn by stout 
and trustworthy horses. 



FRANCONIA NOTCH. 21 

It is good to be on such a spot as Mount 
Willard, provided a selfish and artificial life 
has not hermetically sealed all the avenues 
through which the Creator quickens the no- 
bler and finer part of our nature. 

" Life's burden falls, its discords cease, — 
I lapse into the glad release 
Of Nature's own exceeding peace." 

There are many attractions in the vicin- 
ity of the Notch, the Silver Cascade, whose 
waters fall about eight hundred feet, being 
one of the most noteworthy. A little way 
down the valley is the Willey House, which 
will long remain an object of pathetic inter- 
est, by reason of the sad mischance which re- 
sulted in the instantaneous death of an entire 
family. 

FRANCONIA NOTCH. 

Another excursion is to the Franconia Notiili. 
To many persons this is a more attractive trip 
than that to Mount Washington, as it crowds 
into the compass of a few miles Echo and Pro- 
file lakes, the Great Stone Face, the Pool, the 
Basin, and Flume, with the ascent of Lafayette, 
Profile, and Cannon mountains if desired. 
The mountain chmbing must be omitted if 



22 OBJECTS OF INTEREST. 

one has but a day for the Notch. The drive 
from Bethlehem through Franconia valley is 
delightful. 

If it is possible to crowd into one day more 
enjoyment than is afforded by a drive to the 
various objects of interest in Franconia Notch, 
we hope the tale may be told to the world. 

Echo Lake, the Great Stone Face, the Pool, 
Basin, and Flume, all within a radius of about 
seven miles, constitute a group of marvels 
which are more romantic than any other col- 
lection of Nature's freaks. 

The drive from Bethlehem leads up the 
Mount Agassiz road and through the Fran- 
conia valley. From the hill above Bethlehem 
a lovely prospect, including the Llandaff valley, 
compels one to stop and gaze. Soon the 
Franconia range fronts us, beautiful Lafayette 
highest of all the peaks. After descending the 
hill and passing through an intervale and a 
fragrant pine forest beyond which in the Fran- 
conia valley are the Franconia and Lafayette 
houses, we ascend another hill on which is 
situated the Profile House farm. From this 
point until we near Echo Lake there is a toil- 
some ascent of nearly three miles. It would 



ECHO LAKE. 23 

be tedious as well as toilsome were it not for 
the forest harmonies which surround us and 
lure the senses away from such realities as 
tired horses and jolting vehicles. Far down 
on the right, concealed by the trunks of huge 
trees and their interwoven boughs, a swift- 
running brook sends up the music of its mimic 
waterfalls to our grateful ears, while the giant- 
forms which throw their shadows across our 
path recall Longfellow's grand lines, — 

" This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the 

hemlocks, 
Bearded with moss, and in garments green indistinct in the 

twilight, 
Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their 

bosoms." 

Echo Lake is a limpid sheet of water sur- 
rounded by beautiful scenery; but its chief at- 
traction is in the echoes, which have a weird 
and solemn effect, whether they be of the hu- 
man voice, or the cannon which for a consid- 
eration the man in attendance will discharge, 
and which awakens reverberating echoes from 
the mountains like peals of thunder. The 
sweetest echoes are in response to a horn 
blown upon the shore, which reach the listen- 
ers with wild music dying slowly, like 



24 CANNON MOUNTAIN. 

" The horns of Elfland faintly blowing." 

A winding and gently descending road, kept 
in excellent order by the proprietors of the 
Profile House, takes us in a few minutes from 
Echo Lake to the most popular hotel in the 
mountains. The history of this house would 
be interesting, as also would be a description 
of its culinary and other arrangements, but 
each one would make a book of itself. 

The spot from which one should look for the 
cannon-shaped rock on Cannon Mountain is 
in the rear of the grounds, just before the 
house is reached. This mountain is on the 
south side of the hotel, and seems immensely 
high as one looks up at it. On its top, or on 
that spur of it latterly called Profile Mountain, 
is a beautiful lake, once known as Lake Mau- 
ran, but lately renamed Lonesome Lake. Two 
gentlemen have a cosy hunting lodge near it. 

On the north of the Profile House rises, 
austere and craggy, Eagle Cliff, where once a 
pair of eagles nested that were driven away 
by the disturbance caused by curious visitors. 

It is but a short distance from the Profile 
House to the spot commanding the most satis- 
factory view of the Great Stone Face, or Old 



THE GREAT STONE FACE. 25 

Man of the Mountain. Not the slightest ex- 
ercise of imagination is required to see the 
resemblance of this awe-inspiring outline to a 
human face. It is twelve hundred feet above 
Profile Lake at the base of the cliff, a little 
gem of a lake often called the Old Man's Mir- 
ror. The majestic Old Man has a stern, 
weary look, like one who, without power to 
reform or to alleviate, has been compelled to 
look down on the sins and sorrows of unnum- 
bered generations. 

It is five miles from the Great Stone Face 
to the Flume, but there is so much of interest 
on the way that it does not seem half that 
distance. The Basin is a smooth, round bowl 
in the solid rock, between thirty and forty 
feet in diameter, holding clear, sparkling 
water, about fifteen feet in depth. A cas- 
cade falls into it from above. The Peipjge- 
wasset, flowing at the base of the mount- 
ains, has hollowed out this huge bowl by the 
long continued action of its waters. If one 
has time to cross it on a fallen tree above 
the Basin, and penetrate into the forest be- 
yond, a number of lovely cascades leaping 
down the mountain side in mad haste reward 
the search. 



26 THE FLUME. 

few persons experience disappointment on 
their first visit to the rocky fissure, or trap 
dilce, called the Flume, whose perpendicular 
• walls, twenty feet apart and several hundred 
feet long, are from fifty to sixty feet high. 
Ferns and mosses cling to their sides wher- 
ever there is a handful of soil to nourish them. 
At the upper end of the chasm the walls ap- 
proach each other ; and here, caught between 
them and suspended high in air, is the famous 
boulder, weighing many tons. 

The stream of water which ripples over the 
polished stone bottom of the Flume, and which 
in spring is a roaring torrent, adds much to 
the wild and wonderful beauty of the place. 
Returning from the Flume, we diverge from 
the road to follow a path on the right lead- 
ing to the Pool. A walk of half a mile brings 
us to this great natural well, which is one hun- 
dred and forty feet deep from the top of the 
rocks and about one hundred and fifty feet 
broad. The water in it, which enters by a 
cascade at its upper extremity, is nearly forty 
feet deep. 

All this sight-seeing may be compressed 
within the limits of one day if it is desired ; 



» LANCASTER. 7.^ 

and a glorious sunset enjoyed on the route 
homeward to Bethlehem. Still, it is better to 
remain a night at the Profile House and oc- 
cupy at least two days with these wonders. 

LANCASTER. 

Another favorite drive, though much less 
romantic than the two preceding ones, is to 
Lancaster, distant about fourteen miles. Leav- 
ing the main road near the Maplewood House, 
we descend into the valley known as Bethle- 
hem Hollow, and cross the railroad. A pleas- 
ant drive of six miles along the foot of Kimball 
Hill and past Montgomery Pond, brings us 
to the thriving village of Whitefield. Some 
large saw-mills are apparently at the founda- 
tion of the prosperity which is visible here. 
The village itself presents no especial attrac- 
tions for summer guests, although theYe are 
some very charming outlook points near by, 
the most notable being that at Mountain View 
House beyond the village, where there is a 
wonderful view of Mount Washington and the 
White Mountain range. From Whitefield the 
road takes us between the twin summits 
known as the Lancaster Hills. Lancaster is 



28 KIMBALL HILL.* 

a trading village of considerable importance. 
It has a broad and beautiful street lined on 
both sides with attractive stores. There are 
five or six churches here. The one most re- 
cently erected is of Gothic architecture, and 
is an ornament to the town. It was built by 
the Episcopalians. By walking a mile or so 
from the village one can obtain some grand 
views of the hills ; and the drive along the Con- 
necticut is delightful on both sides of the river. 
The Boston, Concord, and Montreal Railroad 
passes through Lancaster, joining the Grand 
Trunk at Northumberland, ten miles farther 
on. About half way between Bethlehem Hol- 
low and Whitefield, a short turn to the right 
leads up a long and steep ascent to 

KIMBALL HILL, 

On the top of this, in the midst of a rare 
grove of birches, is a tower seventy feet 
high. If its top does not reach to heaven it 
touches Paradise, on favorable days. High as 
it is, the tops of some of the birch-trees reach 
up beside it. What a glorious outlook ! 
Again avast circle of mountains surrounds us. 
One, far away in Vermont, reminds us of a 



JEFFERSON HILL. 29 

couching Hon. The Adirondacks seem very 
far away, but we can see them. Turning from 
point to point we cannot tell which pleases us 
most. We can see far into Franconia Notch, 
and even detect the great Profile itself, but 
the mystical charm of its sadness is lost. The 
landscape in all directions is one of which the 
eye would never weary. Descending from 
poetry and the top of the tower to prose at 
its foot, we may refresh ourselves with tooth- 
some cakes and delicious milk kept there for 
sale. The region all about is an excellent 
wheat country. As we nibble our cookies 
we talk with the woman in charge, and learn 
that she has lived twenty-eight years at the 
neighboring farm, and in that time has bought 
but one barrel of flour. 

JEFFERSON HILL. 

At Whitefield, a road to the right leads to 
Jefferson. The route is not especially inter- 
esting until Jefferson Hill is nearly reached. 
This is a favorite boarding village. It has 
several commodious hotels which are well pat- 
ronized. This is the best point for near views 
of the White Mountain range, and is a favorite 



30 THE HIGHEST VILLAGE. 

spot with those who are disinclined or unable 
to walk or drive, the best prospects being at- 
tainable from the windows and piazzas of the 
hotels. A good-natured rivalry exists between 
the Jeffersonians and Bethlehemites,the former 
boasting their nearness to the high peaks, and 
the latter priding themselves on the beauty of 
their drives and rambles, their proximity to 
Franconia Notch, etc. Whether Bethlehem 
or Jefferson Hill is the highest village in New 
England was long disputed. The question is 
now settled, as Professor Guyot, the eminent 
geographer, has put it on record that Bethle- 
hem is some two hundred feet the higher. 
They are both fair and delightful spots, at all 
events. It is easy to ride to Jefferson and re- 
turn to Bethlehem on the same day. If one is 
certain that the road from Jeflferson to the 
Twin Mountain House is in good order, it is 
pleasant to return by that hostelry instead of 
by the Whitefield road. 

LITTLETON. 

A buck-board ride to Littleton ! Probably 
there are but few visitors who do not once in 
the summer enjoy a ride to Littleton by the 



LITTLETON. 3 1 

conveyance which belongs especially to mount- 
ain resorts, a buck board. The road is as a 
whole excellent. For the first mile it leads 
through a lovely piece of woods much fre- 
quented by the fern collectors. The maiden- 
hair fern is found in one spot and is eagerly 
sought by young and old of both sexes. An 
invalid clergyman who spends his summers in 
Bethlehem, has a collection of ferns which is 
the envy of all beholders. After descending 
the hill where the terrible wash-out occurred 
during a summer tempest of unequaled vio- 
lence a year or two ago, new-comers generally 
take the first turn to the right, and pass along 
by a beautiful brooklet-winding down among 
gnarled old trees, and then through the 
scythe factory village, to Littleton. This is 
the most important village in northern New 
Hampshire. It has three hotels, three or^four 
churches, a bank, a newspaper and job print- 
ing office, a fine academy, several mills and 
planing works, the photographic manufactory 
of the Kilburn brothers, who yearly send out 
immense quantities of stereoscopic pictures of 
American and foreign celebrated spots, and a 
large number of retail stores. On Saturdays 



32 DALTON. 

when the farmers congregate, the wide street 
presents an animated spectacle. A fine 
bridge crosses the Ammonoosuc at a point 
near the railway station. It is wise to return 
to Bethlehem over the hills, as a grand pros- 
pect is afforded from Wallace Hill and other 
points. The Old Astronomer, a huge stone 
face, which lies upturned to the sky, is also 
worth noticing. 

DALTON. 

If one is disposed to take a long drive, we 
commend the journey along the Dalton range, 
over Mount Misery, to the famous Sumner 
place. A notable spot on this road is the 
Elijah Allen farm, about a mile from Littleton, 
on the crest of a long hill known as Mann's 
Hill. From the brow of the hill, in one of 
Mr. Allen's pastures, the valley of the Am- 
monoosuc can be traced for twenty miles. 
Mount Washington is seen in the extreme 
east, while Bethlehem and the Franconia 
range are nearly opposite, and seen to great 
advantage. For several miles, after leaving 
the Allen farm, the view continues charming, 
but the greater part of the way to Dalton is 



COLONEL SUMNER. 33 

more interesting by reason of its romantic 
loneliness than from anything else. 

Had we space, we would like to describe 
the remarkable man who fills so large a place 
in the history of Dalton ; who, in fact, makes 
its history. The name of Colonel Sumner 
appears on the township map as the owner of 
sixteen different tracts of land. He was a 
large operator in lumber, and appears to have 
been a man of broad views and venturesome 
enterprise. Judging from the dwelling-houses 
and stores built by him and now left to decay, 
his dream of building up Dalton into a place 
of importance failed to be realized. The large 
house which he built for his private residence, 
is now used as a hotel. Several oil paintings, 
said to have been brought from Europe by 
Mrs. Sumner, hang in the sitting-room, and 
have a local celebrity. Contrary to the usages 
of most country gentlemen in America, Col- 
onel Sumner always arrayed himself in full 
dress for dinner. He died in the summer of 
1874, at an advanced age. 

Watson's farm. 
Those who spend but a day or two at Beth- 
3 



34 WATSON'S FARM. 

lehem, not only miss the charm which comes 
only from familiarity with a landscape, but 
some of the most delightful drives in the 
mountain region. One of the most enjoyable 
of these shorter excursions is that to Wat- 
son's farm, lying about three miles south- 
west of the village. A gentle ascent, past 
farm-houses and along a road commanding 
a fine prospect of Littleton and the Dalton 
Hills, leads to the brow of Breakneck Hill, 
down which one may drive, provided he have 
manageable horses and strong harness, to the 
Franconia Iron Works, a long, straggling vil- 
lage in the Franconia valley. If Watson's 
farm is our object, we forego the dizzy pleas- 
ure of the steep descent, and turning abruptly 
to the left, find the farm shortly lying in the 
full gaze of Lafayette and his court. Passing 
through the farm- yard by a gate which for a 
small fee a lad opens at our approach, we 
drive through a field, by a flourishing vine- 
yard of hops, to the boundary wall, from which 
the land slopes away to a valley. If the ex- 
cursion has been wisely timed, either in the 
early forenoon or late afternoon of a day in 
which the too garish sunlight is checkered by 



AN EXQUISITE SCENE. - 35 

floating clouds, the exquisite scene makes an 
indelible impression upon the visitor. The 
mountains look very near ; indeed, they are but 
about a half dozen miles away. Their sides 
are covered with dark forests, which as well 
as the bare crests are steeped in a deep pur- 
ple tint. If the gazer be of the fortunate few 
who stay amongst the hills late enough to see 
Lafayette shining with early snow, while the 
grass is yet green, and oaks and maples are 
fluttering their crimson and scarlet signals, he 
will feel the significance of Mrs. Browning's 
emphatic testimony, — 

" Eartli 's crammed wich heaven, 
And every common bush afire with God." 

Far to the west are grand outlines, too, 
hardly to be distinguished from the low hang- 
ing clouds on the horizon, but the nearer 
masses absorb the attention. We recalF the 
sympathy of one of our friends for the mount- 
ains, to whom they seem dumb, helpless 
monsters, unable to utter their complaint. 
They do not so impress us, but rather as self- 
contained, knowing themselves the sources of 
manifold effluent and helpful energies ; many- 
eyed, brooding sentinels of the world ; inter- 



36 SWAZEY FARM. 

preters of the speech which day utters unto 
day. 

SWAZEY FARM. 

A still wilder glimpse into the heart of the 
Franconia Mountains is had from the Svvazey 
farm, the road to which lies to the east of 
the village. This gives a view all wildness 
and sublimity. No sign of human habitation 
breaks the spell, and instinctively the eye 
scans the mountain side in search of the wild 
beasts which, we feel sure, must lurk in the 
primeval wilderness that climbs toward the 
stern tops of the mountains. From the road 
to the Swazey farm, a good view of Jefferson 
may be had, and the Twin Mountain House 
is also plainly discernible. Cruft's Ledge, upon 
which the owner has obligingly placed some 
portable settees, affords about the same pros- 
pect as the Swazey farm, and may be resorted 
to by those who prefer walking to driv- 
ing. The Swazey farm overlooks the weird 
Gale River country, which next demands our 
notice. 

GALE RIVER. 

A drive of exceeding wildness, but less 
known to pleasure seekers than those of which 



GALE RIVER. 37 

we have spoken, is along the bank of Gale 
River, a narrow, wild stream abounding in 
trout, and a region which was once a favorite 
resort of deer. It is but about thirty years 
since our friend — the hunter of whom we 
have spoken — shot from one spot, in one 
winter, forty-seven deer, which his dog drove 
down from the mountains. 

Taking the road to the Notch, we leave it 
about three, miles from Bethlehem, turning 
to the left and following Gale River, where 
we find ourselves at once in a wild country. 
Through the fringe of trees we catch glimpses 
of the near river, which rushes with mad haste 
over its stony bed. The road leads to a farm- 
house, an abandoned mill and houses, the lat- 
ter having been used when a good deal of 
logging was done in the neighborhood. Be- 
yond the farm-house is only a logging •I'oad 
of the rudest sort, but with care it may be 
driven over for about three miles up the south 
branch of the river. We tilt over rocks, 
jounce over log bridges, and experience a 
variety of novel sensations. A luxuriant 
growth of raspberry canes covers the road ; 
the clivers cling to the fragile support of 



38 GALE RIVER. 

wayside shrubs, a mass of matted green, cov- 
ered with tiny white blossoms. The thick, 
dark green sprays of the tea-plant are fre- 
quent. The steep hill-sides, covered with 
forest and tangled undergrowth, look like the 
coverts of wild beasts. The writer once joined 
a party of friends who hitched their horses at 
the end of the logging road and followed the 
path on foot. They had the good fortune to 
see in the moist earth at the base of a tree 
stump, the lately made track of a bear. Bruin 
had been pawing out an ants' nest. A part 
of the south branch of the river has rocky, 
precipitous sides ; trees overshadow it ; dark, 
iron-like seams traverse its rocky bed. As 
we advance, the scenery becomes yet wilder. 
The stream rushes with force between high 
rocky walls ; its bed is strewn with boulders. 
The bank is so high as to shut us in from ob- 
servation of the surrounding country, and we 
listen eagerly to our Bethlehem hunter as he 
tells in his quaint fashion of days spent in the 
mountain solitudes, of encounters with bears 
and wolves, of chasing deer down this rocky 
pass, which we at once name the Deer Pass. 
He makes our adventurous blood to thrill with 



AROUND THE HEATER. 39 

pleasure as he discourses of water-falls, and 
bottomless pools, far in the mountain solitudes, 
unvisited but by himself; of seams of smoky 
quartz crystals, and of all the wild, free life of 
the woods. Reluctantly we retrace our steps 
and return to the commonplace realities of 
hotel life. 

Sugar Hill beyond Franconia has near and 
delightful views of the Franconia Mountains, 
with the White range in the distance. It is 
famed for its fine maple groves, and a rock 
full of garnets, named the Agassiz rock, in 
memory of him who discovered its rare nat- 
ure. 

AROUND THE HEATER. 

It takes about an hour to go " around the 
heater." We will suppose ourselves starting 
from the western end of the village near the 
Bellevue House. Turning to the left we K.each 
the top of a long hill by an easy ascent. The 
air is exquisitely pure. A half mile of no es- 
pecial interest leads us to the brow of the hill 
on its southern side. Here the grandeur of 
the Franconia range, so often touched upon 
in this article, and so impossible to describe, 
bursts upon us. The descent of this hill is 



40 A PRESENTIMENT. 

disquieting to weak nerves. A sad accident 
occurred here a few years ago. A heavily 
loaded coach was on its way from Bethlehem 
to the Profile House. For some reason or 
other, accounts differ, the horses became un- 
manageable and ran violently down the hill. 
At its foot is a sharp turn to the right, and 
here the coach was overturned. Behind the 
driver sat a lad whose father had urged his ac- 
companying him in a mountain wagon. Eager 
to experience the sensation of sitting in so 
elevated a place as the top of a coach, he per- 
suaded his father to go on without him. It 
is said that the father was so impressed with 
the conviction that an accident would befall 
his son, that as he started, he blamed himself 
for yielding to his entreaties, and after going 
a few miles exclaimed, " I cannot go far- 
ther ; my boy is killed." Alighting, he went 
back to the scene of the accident to find the 
little fellow crushed to death by the heavy 
baggage. It is a pity that public opinion 
does not compel the stage-coach proprietors 
to adopt some other way of carrying baggage ; 
precious lives should no longer be endangered 
by piling the coaches high with heavy trunks 



CHERRY VALLEY. 4 1 

which make the coach unwieldy and top- 
heavy. 

Turning from this sad spot by the road to 
the left, we begin to ascend again, passing 
near the base of Round Mountain, and coming 
out on an eminence at the foot of Mount 
Agassiz. Here let us pause, for we have one 
of the finest views in the mountain region. 
Below lies the village of Bethlehem as if 
asleep. The meadows slope away to the north 
until they terminate in a forest of spruces 
which fills the Ammonoosuc Valley. Afar in 
the distance gleams Montgomery Pond, and 
behind the symmetrical hills of Lancaster, the 
wonderful peaks of Stratford seem to stand 
out from their veil of transparent haze. At 
the foot of the hill, Bethlehem is reached, and 
we have been " round the heater." 

CHERRY VALLEY. 

A ride of an hour and a half, if you drive no 
faster than you ought, takes you through wild 
and charming Cherry Valley. Turning by the 
Strawberry Hill House, we descend gently to 
the Prospect House on the left, and soon 
plunge down into a desolate but romantic ra- 



42 ALONG THE AMMONOOSUC. 

vine. It is desirable to traverse this road in 
the morning, as it is then ver)^ shady, and the 
air delightfully fragrant from the dense shrub- 
bery. In the season the fields are enlivened 
by picturesque groups of hop-pickers. The 
road is very circuitous, and why it was made, 
unless for the pleasure of Bethlehem pilgrims, 
is not evident. Steadily winding around to 
the left, it comes into the main road about 
midway between Bethlehem and Littleton. 

ALONG THE AMMONOOSUC. 

We can hardly forgive the Boston, Concord, 
and Montreal Railroad for ruining the beauti- 
ful drive along the Ammonoosuc by running 
so near it as to make it dangerous for horses. 
But for the constant fear inspired by frequent 
trains, the road along this tortuous and melo- 
dious stream would be incomparably delight- 
ful. The road winds along its banks with only 
shrubs and young tiees intervening. On the 
other side of the river, which dashes and foams 
over its stony bed, is an unbroken forest of 
stately trees, in whose solitudes fauns and 
dryads might lead a joyous life. Now when a 
society with a sounding name — the " Theoso- 



SUNSET FROM STRAWBERRY HILL. 43 

phical " — is prosecuting inquiries as to the ex- 
istence of creatures intermediate between man 
and lower animals, we may venture to give the 
rein to imagination and dimly discern half hu- 
man shapes of wildwood denizens peering at 
us from behind mossy rocks and shadowing 
trees. 

We must make the circuit in time to return 
to the village, and climb Strawberry Hill in 
season to quaff delight from the " wine of 
beauty," which Nature with generous hand 
pours out at sunset for all her lovers ; when 
all the subtle gradations of color, from rosy 
gold to violet, steal along the western sky in 
ethereal waves, and melt into softer and ten- 
derer shades as the sun sinks below the far 
mountain line. The play of color upon the 
White range at that hour is of wonderful and 
indescribable beauty. 

Unlike the region of the White Mountain 
Notch, which is celebrated not only for its 
natural charms, but the hardships of its pioneer 
settlers, the hunting exploits of Crawford, and 
the Willey catastrophe, this mountain hamlet 
gives the gleaner of romance and adventure 
no noteworthy stories. One of the early set- 



44 A HERMIT. 

tiers yet lives at the advanced age of ninety- 
two, and likes to recall his toilsome journeys 
over the mountains, when he brought his stock 
of goods for sale, upon his back ; and his pre- 
diction, then laughed to scorn, that the time 
would come when a weekly stage would run to 
Bethlehem. 

Another old man about eighty years old, of 
eccentric habits, is sometimes called a hermit 
because he lives alone, and has a collection of 
articles which he calls his museum. He was 
but a year old when his family made the 
seventh of the settlement ; but he too can re- 
call nothing concerning the place more note- 
worthy than its gradual change from forest to 
tillable fields. He answers to the name of Sir 
Isaac Newton Gay. Like the better known 
Sir Isaac, he is fond of scientific speculations, 
but thinks it improbable "perpetooal motion" 
will ever be discovered. His conclusion upon 
his long observation of men and things is, 
that "all critters that God has made are al- 
ways a-sarchin' and a-scrabblin' for somethin' 
they hain't got.' 



VILLAGE IMPROVEMENTS. 45 



VILLAGE IMPROVEMENTS. 

The hotels and boarding-houses have been 
largely increased in numbers and accommo- 
dations since the charms of Bethlehem were 
heralded to the world, but in the height of the 
season the numerous houses, large and small, 
are insufficient for the accommodation of visit- 
ors. 

One drawback to the pleasure of mountain 
and sea-shore visitors of late, has been the 
danger of epidemic diseases arising from im- 
perfect drainage. In the midst of an ocean 
of pure air, typhoid fever has developed from 
local impurities and claimed its victims. The 
prevailing ignorance upon the important ques- 
tion of drainage, basin many beautifub spots 
prevented precautionary measures ; but as the 
verdict of science becomes more emphatic, ig- 
norance is yearly driven backward, and coun- 
try places become more healthful as landlords 
find their gains dependent upon the purity of 
their premises. 

The Bethlehemites have had the wisdom 
and foresight to form a village improvement 
society, stimulated thereto by the repeated 



46 VILLAGE IMPROVEMENTS. 

visits of several scientific and energetic men, 
who, believing that this village is destined 
to become as famous and popular amongst 
mountain lovers as Newport is with the lovers 
of the sea, wish to see it made as healthful and 
safe as it is beautiful for situation. When 
this society shall have completed its labors, 
which include the laying of sidewalks and 
planting of trees, and when the multiplication 
of summer cottages shall enable visitors to 
command the quiet and seclusion which is to 
many persons the most essential element of 
summer rest, Bethlehem will be one of the 
most delightful and beloved of our many lovely 
summer haunts. 



HAY FEVER. 



As Bethlehem is the head-quarters of the 
Hay Fever Association, and has become the 
principal resort of hay-fever patients, a more 
extended reference to this phenomenal and 
rapidly spreading disease might be expected. 
The subject has been fully and admirably 
treated in a communication to the Association 
from its accomplished secretary, Hon. Frank 
B. Fay of Chelsea, Mass. 

We subjoin a few extracts from this work, 
referring such of our readers as desire further 
information upon the subject to the report it- 
self. 

FROM THE REPORT OF MR. FAY. -. 

" Hay Fever " is often otherwise called Hay 
Asthma, Hay Cold, and Autumnal Catarrh. 

The "Rose Cold" is also called June Cold, 
Peach Cold, and Summer Catarrh. 

The Hay Fever commences about August 
20, and continues to about October i, or till 
the first frost. 



48 HAY FEVER. 

The Rose Cold commences late in May, and 
continues to July i. 

A few days' variation occurs with some pa- 
tients in both diseases. 

Dr. Morrill Wyman of Cambridge, Mass., 
a sufferer by the disease, has thoroughly in- 
vestigated the subject for twenty-five years, 
and in 1872 published a work entitled "Au- 
tumnal Catarrh," which gives all the informa- 
tion then known in regard to the disease, with 
the experiences of a great number of patients. 
We shall draw freely from this book, but refer 
sufferers to it for more definite and valuable 
information. Dr. Wyman will publish a new 
edition in the spring of 1876. 

Dr. Geo. M. Beard, 45 West Twenty-ninth 
Street, New York, has been more recently 
making investigations, and has issued circu- 
lars with fifty questions bearing on the sub- 
ject, with a view to establish his theory of the 
nature and cause of the disease. He invites all 
sufferers to send for a circular, and to answer 
his questions. Extracts from a paper read by 
him at the last meeting of the Public Health 
Association, at Philadelphia, will appear in 
this circular. 



ORIGIN OF HAY FEVER. 49 

Dr. Beard will publish a work on this sub- 
ject in July, 1876. 

Doubtless other physicians are making in- 
vestigations, of which we have not been ap- 
prised. 

CAUSES. 

In the first place it is not caused by hay, 
and has no especial connection with it. 

Dr. Wyman concludes that " we know little 
of the origin of the disease." He thinks it is 
" connected with vegetation," and the " pollen 
theory " doubtless is quite prevalent. " Roman 
Wormwood, Hog Weed, Bitter-sweet, produce 
paroxysms." The first named, Dr. Wyman 
claims to be "an active and general cause of 
paroxysms, but not the cause of the whole 
disease." 

Dr. Beard states that his "investigations 
seem to indicate the dependence of the disease 
on the nervous system, and that it is evident 
they point to very different theories of the 
nature of the disease from those which are 
generally entertained." 

Dr. Beard makes the following recommen- 
dations : — 

"i. To prevent the disease. As early as 
4 



50 TREATMENT. 

March or April the patient should begin to take 
a course of nervo-tonic treatment. I would 
recommend it to be arsenic, phosphorus in its 
various forms, cod liver oil, iodoform, and elec- 
tricity, especially the method of general gal- 
vanization and general faridization. These 
remedies may be used in succession, or in 
alternation, or simultaneously. They will 
probably be most effective in cases that are 
especially nervous and not subject to tonic 
influence, and less especially to those who are 
strong and little nervous, and who do not suf- 
fer from general debility. 

" When the disease appears, the great de- 
pendence must be on local and general tonic 
treatment. Dr. W. F. Hutchinson of Prov- 
idence has broken up a case by central galvan- 
ization. I have relieved two cases by galvan- 
ization externally. The renf .les should be 
used thoroughly. A few, it any, have tried a 
prolonged use of tonic remedies, as quinine, 
iron, strychnine, phosphorus, cod liver oil, 
general faridization and central galvanization 
for some months preceding the attack ; and 
for that reason I strongly urge that treatment 
to the attention of all medical men everywhere 
who have to deal with the disease." 



IS IT A NERVOUS DISEASE? 5 1 

EXTRACTS FROM DR. BEARD's PAPER. 

The argument in favor of the theory that 
the nervous system plays the most important 
part in the causation of hay lever is as fol- 
lows : — 

1. It is most frequent in nervous, or nervo- 
sanguine, or nervo-bilious temperaments. 

2. It is most frequent in those climates 
where other, functional nervous diseases are 
most frequent. 

The chosen home of hay fever is the north- 
ern portion of the United States. 

3. It runs in families like other nervous 
diseases. 

4. Like other nervous diseases it is peculiar 
to modern civilization. Among barbarians, 
so far as I can learn, it does not exist. There 
is no evidence 'lat it existed to any great ~^ex- 
tent prior to the present century. 

5. The symptoms of the disease are very 
markedly of a nervous character. 

6. It is powerfully under the influence of the 
mind. The striking periodicity of the disease 
is probably the result, in part, of the expec- 
tation of the patient that it will come then. 



52 IS IT A NERVOUS DISEASE? 

7. It is aggravated by anything that irritates 
the nervous system, locally or generally. 
Mental excitement, worry, over-toil of any 
kind, the odor of roses, and other flowers, hay, 
dried and fresh, cinders, smoke, etc., etc. — 
these irritating causes are simply irritating 
causes and nothing more ; they are not the 
disease ; they do not cause the disease ; they 
make it worse when it exists, just as excite- 
ment or over-toil will aggravate an ordinary 
headache. 

8. The important element in the production 
of the disease is heat following cold, and this 
same condition causes other nervous diseases. 
This is one prominent reason why nervous dis- 
eases are more common in the northern part 
of this country than in the southern. 

9. As in the case of other nervous diseases, 
the exciting causes — that is, smoke, dust, 
etc., etc. — can do nothing unless they act 
upon a system predisposed. Hay fever is a 
part of the price we pay for civilization. It is 
a penalty for the telegraph, railroad, and print- 
ing press. It is a punishment inflicted on us 
for living in-doors instead of in camp. 

ID. Hay fever is preceded, in a certain 



IS IT A NERVOUS DISEASE ? 53 

number of cases, at least, by a period of de- 
bility and nervous prostration in its various 
symptoms, all the way from several days to 
one, two, and three weeks. 

11. Hay fever may come on in a mild form 
by exposure to heat or close-confined air, at 
any season of the year. 

12. Like other nervous diseases, it acts 
vicariously to the nervous symptoms. Sick 
headache and other symptoms may leave a 
patient, or become milder as the hay fever ap- 
pears. 

13. It is benefited by the tonic influence of 
mountain or sea air. The notion that one 
entertains that the ozone of the sea and mount- 
ain air was the cause of relieving these dis- 
eases is not easy to demonstrate. It is true 
that abundance of ozone is a common factor 
in mountain and sea air, and cold also is a 
common factor of both mountain and sea air ; 
and I suspect that it is the cold of the mount- 
ain and the sea air, more than the ozone, 
that relieves and cures nervous diseases and 
hay fever. 

14. The remedies most beneficial in hay 
fever are those most beneficial in nervous dis- 
eases. 



54 GENERAL REMARKS. 

DR. wyman's recommendations. 

Dr. Wyman says : " The treatment may be 
summed up as follows : — 

" I. Remain in a non-catarrhal region dur- 
ing the critical period. 

" 2. Strengthen the system by food and ton- 
ics. 

" 3. Avoid dust, smoke, night-air, and the 
vicinity o£ plants known to produce a par- 
oxysm. 

" 4. Dress warmly, with flannels next the 
skin. 

" 5. For the cough, mild narcotics ; various 
household demulcents. 

"6. For asthma, smoking stramonium 
leaves, saltpetre, Espie cigarettes, arsenical 
cigarettes, inhalation of sulphuric ether, car- 
bolic acid." 

GENERAL REMARKS. 

Persons once attacked seem never to escape 
a predisposition to it. In some it increases 
\vith age ; in others, decreases. It does not 
appear to shorten life. Several cases are re- 
ported of patients suffering severely, and liv- 



EXEMPT DISTRICTS. 55 

ing till 70 to S8 years of age ; and one now 
living at 91 ! 

Patients are mostly of American birth. 
Persons having in-door occupations are more 
likely to have the disease. Farmers said to 
be less liable than others. 

Diet has little influence. Tobacco and al- 
coholic liquors, negative rather than positive 
in effect. 

' EXEMPT DISTRICTS. 

It is gratifying to be able to point out one 
sure way to avoid the suffering from the dis- 
ease, and that is a residence during the period 
in exempt districts, or " non-catarrhal regions." 

All symptoms disappear in a few hours after 
arrival at these places, of do not appear at all, 
if the patient arrives in advance. 

These districts, with few exceptions, are 
mountainous regions, varying in height from 
T,ooo to 4,000 feet, although height of land 
alone does not seem to be the only require- 
ment. 



56 HAY FEVER ASSOCIATIOX. 

Co7istihition of the United States Hay Fever Asso- 
ciation. Organized at Bethlehem, N. H., Septe?n- 
ber 15, 1874. 

Article i. This organization shall be called, 
"The United States Hay Ff:ver Asso- 
ciation." 

Art. 2. Its object shall be mutual benefit, 
and the seeking for information which shall 
serve to relieve all sufferers with Hay Fever, 
wherever found. 

Art. 3. Any person afflicted with Hay Fever, 
or Rose Cold, may become a member of this 
Association, by signing the Constitution. 

Art. 4. The officers of this Association shall 
consist of a President, Vice-Presidents, an 
Advisory Board, a Treasurer, Corresponding 
Secretary, and Recording Secretary. 

Art. 5. It shall be the duty of each member 
to report to the Recording Secretary the dis- 
covery of any remedy, source of relief, or ex- 
empt district which may come to his or her 
knowledge during their natural life. 

Art. 6. The Secretary, on receipt of such 
information, shall apprise each member of the 
Association, at their last and usual place of 
abode. 



HAY FEVER ASSOCIATION. 57 

Art. 7. Honorary Members may be elected 
at any meeting of the Association, 

Art. 8. The annual meeting of the Associ- 
ation, for the choice of Officers and other 
business, shall be held at Bethlehem, N. H., 
on the last Monday in August in each year, 
at 4 P. M. Other meetings may be held in 
September, upon the call of any six members 
of the Board of Government. 

Art, 9. This Constitution may be amended 
at any annual meeting, by vote of the majority 
present. 

Voted, Sept. 3, 1875, That each member 
be assessed one dollar per annum. 

The Association now (1876) numbers 150 
members. It has held several meetings in 
Bethlehem at which various remedies were 
suggested ; and its Committee on Scientific 
Facts are investigating the whole subject. 

The meeting for 1876 will be held in Beth- 
lehem, August 28. 



BOSTON, CONCORD, MONTREAL, 

AND 

Wliite ]Mountkir^,^ f\. % 



The Shortest, Quickest, and Pleasantest Route from 
all points in Massachusetts, Rhode Islattd, Con- 
necticut, New York, and beyond, to the mountain 
and lake regions of N'ew Hampshire and Vermont. 

CONNECTS 

At Weir's with steamer on Lake Winnepesankee for Can- 
tre Harbor, Wolfborough, and North Conway. 

At J^lymouth and Littleton with stages for Profile 
House. 

At Jiethleheni with stages for Bethlehem Heights. 

At the J^'oot of 3It. Washington with the Mt. Wash- 
ington Railway to the summit. 

At Nofthutnbei'lund with the Grand Trunk Railroad. 

PARLOR CARS CONSTANTLY RUNNING. 

Swift express trains every summer, making close connec- 
tions with boats and trains from New York, Philadelphia, 
Washington, etc. 

{[^=* Excellent Dinners and Suppers provided at the Pemi- 
gewasset House, Pljnnouth, N. H. 

J. A. DODGE, Suft. 

W. R. BRACKETT, G. T. A. 

Ply.nonth, N. //. 



SINCLAIR HOUSE, 

BETHLEHEM, N. H. 
DURGIN & FOX, Proprietors. 



A WELL-KNOWN first-class hotel. Has been greatly en 
larged recently. Is the principal hotel in the town. 

Transient Travel accommodated, and special arrangements 
made with regular boarders. 

A Livery Stable connected. 

Telegraph Office in the house. 

MT. AGASSIZ HOUSE, 

BETHLEHEM. N. H. 
HENRY DANFORTH, Proprietor. 



Situated on the heights of Bethlehem, opposite the Sin- 
clair House. Built with particular regard for the wants of 
summer boarders, and has ample accommodations for sixty 
guests. Fine views of Mount Washington from the windows. 
Large and cheerful office, parlor, reception, and dining-rooms , 
and light, airy sleeping-rooms, single or e?i suite. 

TEAMS FURNISHED. 



BELLEVUE HOQSE, 

DAVID S. PHILLIPS Proprietor 

BETHLEHEM, N. H. 

First ope7iedto the public July, 1S75. IVillreopen June i, 1S76. 

This House, situated in the mountainous and beautiful vil- 
lage of Bethlehem, N. H., about three miles from Bethlehem 
Station, on the Mount Washington Branch of the Boston, 
Concord, Montreal, and White Mountains Railroad, offers in- 
ducements to summer boarders, superior to any pleasure re- 
sort in the country. 

This House, standing on an elevated plateau at the upper 
approach of the main street, entirely new, and built with an 
especial regard to the wants of summer boarders, has ample 
accommodations for sixty guests. Furniture new and complete. 
From the cupola a full and distinct view of Mount Washing- 
ton summit and trains on the Mountain Railway can be en- 
joyed, together with the additional scenery of the valleys and 
distant villages, charming sunrise and sunset views. 

Horses and carriages furnished, also attentive and experi- 
enced drivers. 

Arrangements for heating the rooms for guests wishing to 
remain dining the months of September and October. 

Pure miik and fresh vegetables supplied daily from a farm 
connected with the house. 

BETHLEHEM HOUSE, 

BETHLEHEM, N. H. 



WM. G. BUNKER Proprietor. 



This house is new, pleasant, is on high ground, 
Coininands Beautiful Scenery, 

HAS 

Perfect Drainage and Excellent Water. 
It is only three minutes' walk from the 
POST-OFFICE, CHURCH, ETC. 



OAK HILL HOUSE, 

Littleton, N. H. 

The site on which it is built lias long been a favorite resprt 
of the tourist, and commands the most beautiful and extensive 
views of The White Moantains in the State. From the 
piazza of the house the whole Mount Washington Range, 
from Moosilauk to Adams, may be plainly seen, affording one 
of the finest and most magnificent views in New England. 
Rural, picturesque, and secluded walks and retreats abound 
within a short distance of the house, and pleasant rides in all 
directions. 

Being located within the precincts of one of the most flour- 
ishing villages of Northern New Hampshire, and within an 
easy ride of both the " Notches," and all the prominent points 
of interest about the White Mountains, and within ten min- 
utes walk of the B., C, & M. Railroad Depot, it cannot fail to 
be regarded as an extremely desirable House for boarders 
and transient guests. Persons afflicted with Rose Colds or 
Hay Fever will here find ready relief. Livery, Laundry, and 
Bowling Hall connected with the house. No charge for car- 
riage to and from the depot. Terms : $8 to $12 per week. 
Transient guests ^2.50 per day. 

GEORGE FARR & CO., Proprietors. 

HILL-SIDE HOME, 

Bethlehem, N. H. 

This House will be open this season. It is located near 
the Post-Office, Telegraph, and Church, standing upon high 
ground, with perfect drainage, and is surrounded by green 
lawns and plav grounds. From this house can be seen the 
whole RANGE OF WHITE MOUNTAINS, with; Mount 
Washington— the monarch of them all — directly "in front, 
while on the right, and near at hand, is Mount Agassiz, and 
on the left, as far as the eye can reach, is the long range of 
mountains ending with the Sugar Loaf peaks, making this 
one of the grandest landscape pictures to be found in the 
world. 

HORSES AND CARRIAGES at a moment's notice, and 
at a fair price, to take parties to any point of interest about 
the mountains. The table will be supplied from the products 
of the farm connected with the house, and no pains will be 
spared to make this place a home for those who may favor 
me with their patronage. ^ 

ELISHA SWETT, Proprietor. 

Bethlehem, N. H. 



Profile House, 

Franconia Notch, White Monntnins, N. II. 

Open from June 15 to October i. 

TAFT & GREENLEAF, Proprietors. 

This Favorite Summer Resort, situated nineteen hundred 
and seventy-two feet above tide-water, is the largest hotel in 
New England, and has long been known and appreciated by 
thousands of summer visitors. The location of the hotel is 
well described by the Rev. Dr. Prime : "A plain of a few 
cleared acres in extent, in a gorge that admits the passage of 
a narrow carriage-way, mountains two thousand feet high 
rising almost perpendicularly on each side, with two lovely 
lakes lying under the hills and skirted with forests, has been 
chosen as a summer resort, and the site of a magnificent hotel, 
in which five hundred guests find refreshment and a cool 
retreat from the torrid heats that blight the world below. 
It is never hot at the Profile House." 

Franconia Notch, in which the Profile House is 
located, is a ]5ass about five miles in extent, between the 
western wall of Lafayette and Mount Cannon. 

St.\rr King says: "The narrow district thus enclosed 
contains more objects of interest to the mass of travellers 
than any other region of equal extent within the usual com- 
pass of the White-Mountain -tour. In the way of rock sculp- 
ture and waterfalls, it is a huge museum of curiosities. There 
is no spot usually visited in any of the valleys where the 
senses are at once impressed so strongly and so pleasantly 
with the wildness and freshness whicha stranger instinct- 
ively associates with mountain scenery in New Hampshire. 
There is no other spot where the visitor is domesticated amid 
the most savage and startling forms in which cliffs and forest 
are combined. And yet there is beauty enough intermixed 
with the sublimity and the wildness to make the scenery per- 
manently attractive, as well as grand and exciting."^ 

W. C. Prime says: "The grandeur of evening in Franco- 
nia Notch is beyond all words, — nay, is beyond human ability 
to appreciate. 'There are higher mountains, deeper ravines, 
more precipitous cliffs in the world, but nowhere in my wan- 
derings have I found such lights as the departing sun leaves 
on the white hills of New Hampshire. .... No capacity for 
enjoyment is sufficient to appreciate the varietyand change of 
the sunset and evening lights in the Franconia Notch ; and 
though one has seen them a thousand times, he_ sees them 
each evening with new and sober delight, sometimes rising 
into awe." 



LIVERY STABLE, 

BETHLEHEM, N. H. 
CLARK BROTHERS, Proprietors. 



This Stable is one of the largest and best appointed in 
New Hampshire. 

A large assortment of mountain wagons, coaches, carryalls, 
buggies, and buckboards held in readiness. More than fifty 
horses in use during the season, including many excellent 
saddle horses. 

5!^^ Especial care taken in the selection of careful drivers. 

HUNTOON BROTHERS, 

Grocers, 

AND DEALERS IN 

DRY GOO D S, 

BOOTS AND SHOES, 

Crockery and glassware, Canned Fruit, 
Confectionery, etc. 

BETHLEHEM, N. H. 
Nearly opposite the Strawbej-}'y Hill House. 



STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE, 

BETHLEHEM, N. H 
J. K. BARRETT, Proprietor. 

This is one of the largest and finest houses in Bethlehem. 
It is situated at the base of the beautiful eminence known 
as 

STRAWBERRY HILL, 

in the pleasantest part of the village, and is kept by the former 
proprietor of the well-known Howard House. Has been 
opened two years, and has been full throughout each season. 

THAYER'S HOTEL, 

LITTLETON, N. H. 

This first-class popular House is still owned and kept by 
the subscriber, whose experience as a hotel-keeper enables 
him to make his house as pleasant a resort for summer tour- 
ists as can be found in the vicinity of the White Mountains. 
The house being nearly new, lighted with gas throughout, 
and located in the central part of the village, with delightful 
surroundings, it possesses that peculiarly home-like^ character 
so desirable to those who wish to sojourn for a time among 
the magnificent mountains and charming scenery of this 
" Switzerland of America." 

It is a convenient resting place for the night, as all can just 
as well have a comfortable night's sleep as to be hurried to 
the hills, the through ticket being good for the next day. It 
is much better to wait until morning before going to the 
mountains, as the chance for obtaining good rooms at the 
mountain hotels is altogether better than at night. This is an 
important fact, and travelers should bear it in mind. 

Free Coach to and from the cars for patrons of the house. 

The best of Livery A ccoinmodatioiis to be had at all times. 

H. L. THAYER, Prop'r. 

Littleton, N H July lo. 1S76. 




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